On this day in 1966, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC-TV) launched its first colour television broadcasting in Canada, with a Telescope documentary on the Calgary Stamped.
The history of CBC, as told on its website, began on a summer’s day in 1927, Canadians coast to coast sat enthralled before their radio sets as Prime Minister Mackenzie King spoke to them from Parliament Hill.
Through the 1930s radio kept them entertained, and in wartime radio kept them informed. Then, Canadians were captivated all over again by television.
In 1952 a bald puppet named Uncle Chichimus ushered them into the TV age, and in 1966 an animated butterfly made Canadian TV a more colourful pace.
In 2011, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a 25-cent coin in honour of the 75th anniversary of the CBC.
The microphone depicted on the coin was created by CBC/Radio-Canada for the Royal Tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. It was designed for outdoor broadcasts, and its special wind-resisting device — commonplace today—represented a major technological advance.
This microphone is a reminder of the past and a testament to CBC/Radio-Canada’s commitment to overcoming challenges, creating new technologies, and breaking new ground